San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-03
CHAPTER VIII.
IN THE JAWS OF DEATH.

IN THE JAWS OF DEATH.
The scene presented an hour or two
later on the really capital ice placed at
the general disposal was animated and
striking in the extreme. The snow
cleared off the lake had been piled up
round the margin in Enthusiastically
shaped mounds, wherein great braZiers
of fire were kindled at long intervals,
with admirable effect. The moon
shone clear and bright in a cloudless
sky, and on either side the lake the
background of leafless trees and shad-
owy bosket framed picture calculated
to recall sketches of winter in the Can
adian woods or Christmas on the Ne
va.
But those were undeniably English
forms-stalwart men and lissom maids
who skinned the frozen surface with
grace and celebrity purely insular; for
certeS, our British fair ones have a
stately carriage and SUette movement
peculiar to themselves, as they bend
hither, thither, upon the cleaning
blades, swaying like reeds in the wintry
blast, whilst each sturdy unit of the
sterner sex pursues the even tenor of
his way-even upon his Acmes-with a
stolid dignity and strength of purpose
late.
The gathering proved but small
twenty souls, perhaps, all told; and
Dick, fresh from the limitless acres of
HendOn, the Long water, and the Ser
pentine, soon began to weary of the
somewhat monotOnous sport of 'fol-
lowing his nose" in a straight line, half
a mile up, half mile down; for though
at one point the lake diverged, and cut
up in narrow strait some distance
among the trees, yet the ice was held
too sheltered in such reconcile regions
to be altogether safe, despite the rigor
of the frost.
So any advance in this direction was
strictly tabooed. keep to the right
skating up; keep to the left skating
Notwithstanding only in the centre
of the pond" Such was the tenor of
the injunctions laid upon each guest,
and in this primitive locale it would
have been regarded well-nigh as an in
fringement of the rites of hospitality
had any visitor ventured to disobey.
And, indeed, know not that any felt
the inclination, saving, perhaps, the in
evitable exception necessary to prove
the rule in the shape of Dick Carlisle,
who "hailed," as we know, from that
seething whirlpool of iniquity, popular
ly dubbed town." and was consequent
ly prone to evil tendencies happily
confined to metropolitan sinners.
1t must at any rate be confessed that
after two full hours of what he stigma
tised as ''uncommonly poor fun" Dick
began to weary of the monotony of the
prescribed course and cast longing
glances in the direction of the smooth
uncut ice, cleaning like silver ribbon
in and out among the trees.
There might be some amusement now
in exploring the windings of the frozen
stream, and imagining oneself miles
away from the haunts of civilization
and the jostling, ''madding crowd, !"
Dick argued mentally. By the way,
unless he were much mistaken, the
water extended as far as the gardeners
hut, cOign of vantage where he had
spent many happy hours, when first he
had been visitor on probation at
Bleak House, some half-dozen years
ago.
Ali to be sure, there was the twinkle
of a lighted pane visible, even now, be-
tween the branches of the trees; ''he'd
mind, a devilish good mind
But at this juncture, thought became
merged in action; one glance to right.